Prince George, B.C. –  There is more hot weather on the way for the  Cariboo and  Kamloops Fire Centre regions this weekend , as Mother Nature  refuses  to give firefighters a break.

The most recent count from the B.C. Wildfire Service  indicates there  are 145  fires burning in B.C.  and the cost to  fight those fires  is closing in on $420 million  dollars.

As  people make plans for their long weekend  travels,   campfire bans remain in place for the Cariboo  and Kamloops Fire Centres,   and the  off road vehicle ban also remains in place.

Cathedral Park near Keremeos  was closed yesterday  and campers and  guests at the Cathedral Lake lodge  moved out of the area.

Anyone planning   to  head out for the long weekend is  advised to check  with  the BC Wildfire Service, Cariboo Regional District,  Thompson Nicola Regional District,  or the Central Okanagan Regional district for the latest  area restrictions  and evacuation alerts and orders.

Robert Turner,  Assistant Deputy Minister  for  Emergency Management B.C.  says the  fire season is far from over “I think there may be a perception that it’s the end of August it’s almost September,  maybe the (fire) season is over”.  He says  with   the Philpott Road fire,  growth on  the Elephant Hill blaze , the message should be  clear “We remain in a very extreme fire danger rating.  That communities  and individuals need to be staying on a high level of alert, personal  preparedness remains  just as important now as it  did two weeks   ago.   We are very much not out of this season.”

Although  campfire bans have been lifted  in the Prince George Fire Centre,  the public is  asked to remain vigilant  as  any human caused fire  would divert valuable resources  away from  areas where  firefighters are trying to protect  properties  and keep highways open.